Procrastination is easy because you've probably formed habits around it. You'll watch television, play a game, or do anything fun before actually doing what you really think you need to do. If you can develop habits that are related to your goals, however, you might have an easier time focusing on and achieving them.

That's what Martin Grunburg asserts in his talk at TEDxAA. He says that when you're creating steps towards achieving goals, you're generally including a lot of unrelated tasks. For example, if you're going to run a marathon you might go buy some shoes, call a trainer, and so on before you actually get to the part where you run. Running is a related task that can become habitual and get you closer to actually running that marathon. The other stuff you have to do can be cumbersome and get in the way.

The takeaway is this: when you're planning, figure out which tasks can become habits that are related to the goal you want to achieve. Focus on those and start there first. It'll move the action from being cognitive—something you have to think about—to reflexive—something you don't. Suddenly, achieving the goal won't require much effort at all.